Canonical Prayerbook 106-168

Background information
from Drower

Various sections
of the Canonical Prayerbook

Copyists

BOOK OF SOULS Prayers 1-31

MASIQTA Prayers 32-72

The Letter ('ngirta) Prayer 73

COLOPHON #74

HYMNS OF PRAISE Prayers 75-77

The Responses ('niania) Prayers 78-103

The Rusma (Daily Ablution Prayers)--Prayer 104

ASIET MALKIA Prayer 105

Rahmia (Daily Devotional Prayers)--Prayers 106-168

     Colophon 169

    Tab Taba Ltabia (the full Commemoration prayer forthe dead and living--Prayer 170

     Hymns of Praise--Prayers 171-172

     Sumhata (The Names)--Prayers 173-176

     Little New Year's Feast Prayer--Prayer 177

     Prayers for honoring the crown--Prayer 178

    Hymns of marriage and a new priest (including the series Kt Azil Bhira Dakia-- Prayer 179-198

     Colophon 199

    Prayers 200-283

   Colophon 284

     Prayers 285-304

    Coronation Prayers and hymns (including two for myrtle)-- Prayers 305-328

      Colophon 329

BANNER HYMNS Prayers 330- 347

    Blessed Oblation Prayers and Hymns--Prayers 348- 374

Blessings on the chief celebrant after Blessed Oblation--                     Prayers 375-381

    Myrtle prayers and hymns--Prayers 382-385

     Various prayers 386-409

     Prayer of Yahia--Prayer 410

     Odd hymns--411- 412

THE CANONICAL PRAYERBOOK
OF THE MANDAEANS

RAHMIA

Prayers 161-162

Prayers 163-164

Prayers 165-169

Colophon

Prayers 165-169

These are five prayers which are fruits of ether. The first is the confirmation of your “Devotions”. Pray them after the hymns and psalms for the day before the major “Blessed and praised be Life”.

165

In the name of the Great Life
Sublime Life be magnified!

Poor am I! From the fruits...
And displaced am I, from far away am I

A poor one whom the Great Life afflicted ,
A displaced (being), for the ‘uthras removed me;

They brought me from the Abode of the Good;
Yea! they assigned me a dwelling in the abode of evil ones,
Yea they made me dwell in the abode of evil ones
Which is all full of wickedness.

All full of evil, full of consuming fire.

I willed it not, nor do I desire
To dwell in the futile dwelling,
With my strength and with my vigilance (Perforce and with vigilance?)

Have I dwelt in the futile abode,
By my vigilance and my praise
Have I kept myself alien from it,
From the world.

I have stood amongst them like a fatherless child,
Like a fatherless child, or like
A fruit tree with none to tend it.

I hear the voice of the Seven,
Who murmur and confer together

They say, "Whence is this being? (this) stranger,
Whose whose speech is not like our speech ?"

I did not listen to their talk
And they were filled with evil rage against me.

The Life, who heard my cry, sent towards me a saviour.

He sent me a gentle ‘uthra,
A being equipped and equipping.

He discoursed with me in his pure voice,
Just as ‘uthras discourse in the House of Perfection

And he said, “Fear not, poor thing; and do not tremble,
Say not ‘I am alone!’

Because of thee, poor one the firmament
Was thus outspanned, the heavens were outspanned thus;
And stars were created therein.

For thy sake, poor one,
This dry land came into being,
The dry land came to pass and became solid
And fell into the water.

On thine account, poor one,
The sun came; for thee was the moon revealed.

On thine account, poor one, did the seven come.

And those twelve went hither.

At thy right hand, thou poor one, abideth radiance
And at thy left are beams of light

Stand firm! Rise in thy brightness
Until thy measure (of years) is complete.

When thy measure is complete,
I myself will come to thee, I will bring thee
Robes of splendour
Which the world, coveteous, will entreat;

I will bring to thee wrappings
Good and pure, of the Light
Which is great and boundless.

I will deliver thee from the wicked
And save thee from sinners.

I will set thee in thy škinta
In the Pure Place. I will rescue thee!”

I hear the voice of the Seven
As they mutter and whisper and say

“Blessed is it that the poor one
Hath a father, and the fruit-tree one who tendeth it.
For us there is no father: our fruit-tree hath none to tend it!”

Well is it for him whom the Great Life knoweth
But woe to him whom the Great Life knoweth not I
Well is it for him whom the Great Life knoweth,
Who keepeth himself alien from the world,
From the world of imperfection
In which the planets sit.
On thrones of rebellion do they sit
And perform their deeds with a scourge.

They stir up trouble about gold and silver,
They cast into it (the world) strife,
They stir up trouble cast strife into it.

And they will go into the fire: will seethe,
They will go into fire and will seethe,
The wicked will seethe and their pomp
Will perish and be brought to a stop.

(But) I, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnuš,
And my offspring and my kinsfolk
I will arise, I will behold the Place of Light
The place whose sun goeth not down,
Nor do its lamps of light grow dim.

To it, to that place, (to that) bourne
Your souls are bidden and invited,
And the souls of our good brothers
And those (of) our sisters who are believing.

Life is extolled and victorious

And victorious is the man who went hence.

166

In the name of the Life!

The ‘uthras rejoice in His treasure,
And ‘uthras increase in glory
Through the Treasure.

The ‘uthras rejoice and shine
In the vigilance and praise
Which your Father, the Mighty Life,
Inspired in you.

167

In the Name of the Great Life!

Thee, my Lord, do I worship
And Thee, my Lord, do I praise.

Light-in-Truth do we call Thee.

Look on us, Lord, and condemn us not!

168

Upon the Beginning of the great Ether of Life
And upon the great Source of Healings
Do I, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnuš, take stand.

I have made prayer and submission to
That great Primal Mana and the Treasure of Treasures,
And to Bihrun, Kanfiel, Nsab and Anan-Nsab,
To Sar and Sarwan, Tar and Tarwan, ‘Urfiel and Marfiel
And to Arsapan, the Youth of tender years,
And to Yawar-Tatgmur and to Haš-u-Praš
The ‘uthra who is Nsab and Anan-Nsab,
Bihram and the great Ram — Life is His name —
Who receiveth prayer and praise
And uplifteth it (them) to the Great Place of Light
And to the Everlasting Abode.

He will accept my prayer and praise, mine,
Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnuš,
And lift it up to the Great Place of Light
And to the Everlasting Abode
Into His own škinta; will uplift it and will not let

Distortion or fault appear therein.
And Life be praised!

169

To thy name, Land (world) of Light
And to the great Door of the House of Life

Have I addressed my prayer and made submission,
And to that great First Maria
And that great first Source of glory who is
Haš-u-Praš (He pondered and declared) and Prišaia-rba-qadmaia
(Noble, great, First) is His name
Our propitiation and our Awe.

Wondrous is His voice,
And His converse other-worldly.

(He it is) who accepteth prayer and praise
And taketh it up to the great place of Light
And to the everlasting abode.

He accepteth my prayer and my praise,
Mine, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnuš,
Who have prayed this prayer and (these) Devotions.

And he lifteth it up to the great place of Light
And to the everlasting abode
And delivereth it to the great Yawar.

This is prayer and praise which came to us
—To the Elect Righteous—to this world
Which is all birth.

For every man who prayeth this prayer
There will be forgiving of sins.

To every Nasoraean man who prayeth
And standeth at his devotions,
And mentioneth these names sincerely.

A guardian-spirit of light will come
And will abide in his house,
(And will abide in my house)
Mine, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnuš.

And I, Adam-Yuhana son of Mahnuš,
By means of this prayer will seek and find
And speak and be heard,
I will seek justice and win (my case);
I shall be without sin or trespass
In the Great Place of Light
And the Everlasting Abode.

Life be praised! and Life is victorious.